Chapter 72 - LOCATING THE TARGET

After we ate, Kyle told me that he had asked EZ for help with the security footage we were looking through. I knew that EZ would be able to do it. He was amazing when it came to things like that.

I was currently sitting with my head against Kyle's shoulder while he booted up the computer. He had even grabbed my hand and wrapped his fingers around it gently. I had also wrapped my fingers around his hand in return. It was the first real time that I had held his hand. Actually besides EZ and my pseudo niece and nephew it was the first time I had really held someone's hand in a very long time.

I never thought I would be like this with someone. I never thought I would entertain the idea that I would be with someone more than once and not run away or chase them away. This was completely new to me.

While I thought about this, contemplating it's meaning and all that bullshit, I watched the information that EZ had gathered pop up on the screen of my computer. Kyle was already looking through it all and had apparently found what he was looking for.

I had scanned the images as well and I was able to follow that path that Sandy Fink had taken as well. He was still in town, according to this. Hopefully, with no other shifters around to help him this time.

It looked like Mr. Fink had first been seen on someone's property camera as he fled the house. From there he was caught on porch cameras and store security footage. This was all really easy for us to follow.

In the last image I saw that Sandy Fink was going inside a small run down motel on the other end of town. It showed him going in but not coming out. There had been a few delivery drivers that showed up at his door since he went inside but nothing other than that.

"Well, it looks like we might have narrowed down our search." I stated the obvious and lifted my head from his shoulder. Hopefully he is still there." 

I went to get up but Kyle stopped me before I could.

"Where are you going?" He asked me with a hand gripping my wrist gently. 

"To catch his sorry ass." I told him flatly like it was completely obvious. Which it should have been, honestly. At least it was for me.

"Is this how you usually work? Do you always go in all half cocked with no plans at all? Because if that's how you work I have to wonder how you haven't managed to get yourself killed already." He was growling at me as if he was angry. "Oh, wait, I forgot you nearly died. YESTERDAY!" 

I glared at him. My anger had nowhere to go but toward him. He was the current cause of my anger anyway so I guess it was suitable. 

"No, I actually form quite elaborate plans. However, I am just going to catch him and drag his ass back this time. I am a little too pissed off about the last attempt to catch him to think right now. I was going to form a plan when I got a chance to map out the location."

"Why not map it out here and then go. You don't want to chance that he will still have his friends with him, do you?" I understood what he was saying and it was a valid point, but I was just annoyed and angry. I wanted to go right now.

I needed to get this all over with as soon as possible, that way I could get home and figure out what I was going to do next. This was not exactly an ideal time for me.

Kyle was still looking at me, waiting for an answer. I had to give him one but I was having trouble coming up with a reason to make him get up and leave.

"I can't map it out here." I finally settled on something after thinking for a minute. "I don't have the blueprints."

"I've got them right here." He pulled something up on the screen and started going through them. "It's your typical run down fleabag motel. It looks like there are the front windows only as the rooms back up to the unit behind them. They are all entered from the door outside with no other entries. There is the main bedroom and the bathroom. Absolutely nothing else. They are simple, small, and completely disgusting."

"You haven't even seen the inside yet and you're calling it disgusting." 

I couldn't believe him and his utter thoroughness. I had to fault him for something. Kyle turned to look at me then and raised an eyebrow in a mock sneer of my words.

"Are you telling me that you can't tell that they are disgusting. Seriously, just look at the layout. Take a look at the name of the place. It's despicable. I mean this place here is barely suitable, but it was the best place they had in town."

"Hahaha." I couldn't help it, I was laughing. I don't know why his words were so funny because everything he had said was true. I had chosen this place because it was the nicest inn even close to where I was going. That explains why we were staying at the same hotel when we got here at separate times.

"Is there something funny about what I said?" He looked slightly annoyed now.

"Not really, it's just that it's all true and that made me laugh. I chose this place because it was the nicest as well."

"Then you fully understand. Now, sit your pretty little ass down on this bed and let's come up with a plan." It was my turn to raise an eyebrow at him. Though I didn't just stop at the eyebrow, I also crossed my arms and glared at him with my foot tapping on the floor. It was his turn to laugh now as he looked at me.

"What? You don't approve of the term pretty? Would you prefer beautiful? Or perhaps sexy? Possibly badass, strong, awesome? Come on here, throw me a bone and tell me which one it is you prefer?" He was pretending to flounder, like he was worried he had messed up big time. However, the smile on his face told me that he was having a good time while he played his little game.

"I didn't think cats liked bones? Because if you're talking about the other kind of bone, I'm sorry to tell you that I wasn't born with that equipment, Alpha or not."

"You're unbelievable, you know that." He was shaking his head and his shoulders as he laughed at me. "Where do you come up with this shit?"

"I was born with an unusually high level of sarcasm so it just comes natural to me. If you leave an opening and I am in the mood for it I will roast your ass."

"Hmm, sounds fun. Let's see how this all turns out in a few years." He looked like he was thinking about something very intently.

"Who said I will still give you the time of day in a few years? You might not want to place all of your chips on a single bet?" I raised another eyebrow.

"Oh, I think I'll be fine. I will take that bet. It might be a little difficult, but the payout will be worth it." He winked at me then and I couldn't help but think of the implications of what he had just said. For some reason it made me freeze as I thought about it all. "What's the matter, did the cat got your tongue?" He laughed again at his own joke. I guess he could guess that he, the literal cat, had actually caused me to be speechless. That was annoying.

"Just shut up."

"Oooh, good one there baby. I don't know how I am going to survive with you." Another chuckle escaped him as he pulled me down so that I was laying across his lap. "Now, let's talk about our plan. I am sure that together we can come up with something really good."

"Do you think that I can't make a plan on my own?" I glared again.

"Not at all. I know you're smart. I just thought that if we combine our brilliance then we will have a contingency for whatever might happen when we're there."

Grrrr! I couldn't argue with him about that. Dammit. This was my job not his. I was not going to let him take my job away from me.

Still, we spent the rest of the night coming up with a plan. We even ordered more food and had a late dinner while we planned it all out. Mr. Cautious Kitty liked to make sure his plans were thoroughly set before making a move. I found that admirable but annoying.. I wanted to just get to work.